Pet Quartet
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: A stray cat taken into a loving home discovers she's not the only one in need of a safe place to sleep. It might take a little time to warm up to one another, and dangers lurk in the neighborhood, but friendship knows no species and sets no boundaries. [Pet AU].
1. A Little Mouse

**Okay so here is my Pet AU! I started off with just this single chapter which was a request for a prompt of Blake being a housecat and Ruby being a mouse she finds. Then I just kept getting more pet prompts and so I decided to make this a full story with multiple chapters.**

 **The first two chapters may seem short because they were originally just prompts, but chapters 3 and higher were written as full fic chapters. So enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 1. A Little Mouse

It was just another night in Blake's home. She'd curled up at the foot of her humans' bed to sleep, warm and content between their feet.

But she couldn't sleep for some reason tonight. Something was calling to her, not with audible sound, but loudly enough to have her instincts kicking into high gear. She could hear the scuttling of tiny claws across the tiled floor all the way from the kitchen.

Instantly she was up, leaping off the bed and creeping toward the hallway, keeping light on the pads of her paws. She peered around the corner into the kitchen, golden eyes flashing in the darkness.

It didn't take her long to locate the source of the noise. Up on the counter, something small was moving…

She could distinguish two round ears, a tiny body, a long tail, and a twitching nose.

Not in _her_ house.

Blake crept up to the counter, wiggling her haunches in preparation for the jump. The mouse was too focused on her task of trying to open the cookie jar, she hadn't even noticed Blake.

With a yowl and a leap, Blake sprung up onto the counter and swiped at the mouse, bowling her over to scramble into a pile of dishes.

"Eep!" she squealed. "P-Please don't eat me!"

"Please," Blake hissed, lashing her tail. "I don't eat mice. Just get out of my house or else. One mouse always means more mice, and I'm not going to deal with that." She bared her teeth, fangs flashing even in the darkness.

The reddish-furred mouse squeaked again, trembling,

"B-But I've got nowhere else to go! This is the only place I could find! Please let me stay! I'll only eat one cookie a day, I promise!"

Blake snorted, keeping her eyes narrowed into slits on the mouse. She liked to believe her days of senseless ferocity were over, so she considered the mouse.

"…How many of you are there?"

"Just me! I promise! I'm the only one!"

"…Fine," Blake growled. "But if I ever find so much as an extra crumb missing, I'll come and nip your tail until you run out of here squealing."

"G-Got it!" The mouse scurried out from her hiding spot and wrestled the cookie jar open. She plucked out a single cookie and stuffed it into her mouth before scuttling off the counter. "Fank you!" she called back around a mouthful of cookie.

Blake merely rolled her eyes and lashed her tail again. The mouse scurried off down into the basement.

Blake leapt down from the counter and prowled back to the humans' room to go back to sleep.

* * *

After that, the mouse - who Blake had learned was named Ruby - ventured out every night into the kitchen to collect her nightly cookie. Blake always roused herself to keep a sharp eye on the rodent, ensuring she never took more than one treat.

But eventually, she started coming out into the kitchen not to keep an eye on Ruby, but to accompany her.

Blake didn't know what it was, but her predator instincts weren't kicking in anymore like they'd used to when she'd lived out in the streets.

Somewhere along the lines, the two of them started playing together, started chasing one another around the living room and passing Blake's toy balls back and forth. They'd play until dawn when Ruby would return to the basement, and Blake to her human's bed.

Not a week later, however, her humans began to notice a lack in cookies, and caught on quickly. They told Blake things like "You catch that mouse, Blake! That's your job!"

But Blake's ears went flat.

She liked Ruby. She didn't _want_ to catch her…

After several more nights of playing together with the mouse rather than pouncing on her, Blake realized she needed to do something about this quickly.

But her humans acted first. They laid down small objects with pieces of cheese on them on the kitchen floor and left them out overnight.

When Blake and Ruby went out that night, the pair paused and looked curiously at the objects.

"What are they?" Ruby wondered from her perch between Blake's ears.

"I don't know. My humans said they were for you. They put food on them, too."

"Ew, but it's cheese! I don't like cheese…"

Blake shrugged.

"Well, I've had it before. If you don't want it, then I'll take it."

Blake stepped forward to one of the objects and bent down to sniff the cheese. It was fresh and had a strong fragrance. The cat reached out with her paw to swipe the piece off.

But as soon as her fur touched the cheese, the object jumped up at her, and suddenly there was an awful pain on her paw.

Blake yowled in agony, jumping back and thrashing about frantically, her fur fluffing up as she screamed. Ruby leapt off of her in a panic, instinctively running toward the basement to hide in the face of danger. Mice weren't particularly brave creatures by nature, after all.

But Blake was still crying, running around desperately as the trap refused to release her paw. The sounds of agony echoed through the house, but the humans weren't awake to help.

Ruby couldn't leave her.

So despite all her parents had taught her, Ruby rushed back into face the danger head-on.

"Blake! Blake! Wait!" she squeaked. "Let me help!"

The cat yowled again, backing herself against the wall, her snared paw dragging the trap along with it. Her pained eyes met Ruby's silver ones, and Blake crouched down on her belly, extending her trembling forepaw.

The mouse quickly grabbed onto the bar of the trap and pulled. Blake hissed again, but the pressure lifted, the trap snapping back into its original position as it released her. Once it was off, Ruby shoved it as far away as possible.

"Are you okay?!" she piped, scurrying over to lay in between Blake's paws. Ruby cuddled the injured one as Blake dragged her tongue over it.

"Y-Yeah…" she stammered. "But what _was_ that? My humans said it was for you. If you'd touched it, it would've killed you!"

Ruby sniffed and looked away.

"I guess… your humans don't want me here. I should leave…"

"No!" Blake reached out her front paws and gathered Ruby in them, pulling the mouse close to her and giving a small lick to her head. "You can't leave. I don't want you to…"

Ruby turned over onto her back, looking up at the cat.

"Blake…?"

Blake flicked an ear in embarrassment, but her golden eyes were wide and honest.

"You're… you're my only friend, Ruby…" she confessed. "I won't let them hurt you. I don't want you to leave."

Ruby sniffled again and crawled up to hug Blake's chest.

The cat sighed, not knowing what more she could do but curl her tail around herself and Ruby and sleep.

* * *

When her humans woke that morning, they came into the kitchen. Their surprised cries woke Blake and Ruby both, petrifying the mouse in her paws.

Blake's humans walked over to her, reaching down to pat her head and congratulate her.

"Good girl, Blake! You caught the mouse!"

Their hands made an effort to pick Ruby up, but Blake hissed vehemently at them, drawing Ruby close to her. Her humans were clearly baffled, but Blake growled again.

Ruby crawled up Blake's back and trembled as she sat between the cat's ears. Blake lashed her tail at her humans and hissed again.

 _"She's my friend!"_ she growled. _"I won't let you hurt her!"_

Perhaps they couldn't hear her words, but they seemed to understand her.

"Aw, Blake. You made a friend! Wanna keep the mousy? You guys are an odd pair, but that's okay."

Blake let her fur lie flat again and she let out a small meow.

" _Yes_. _I want her to stay with me."_

This time, she didn't growl when her humans bent down. They petted Blake softly, and then reached out to scratch Ruby's ears and back lightly.

That morning, Blake's humans cleaned up the traps and threw them away.

From then on, the two unlikely friends spent their days playing, passing the toy balls in the living room and racing one another around the house.

Her humans gave Ruby her own tiny red bowl beside Blake's purple one, and every day they broke up some cookies and crackers into it for her.

And at night, Blake and Ruby curled up together at the foot of the bed.

Blake would lick the mouse's head until she fell asleep, and Ruby would drift off to the sounds of those happy purrs.

Blake hadn't had any friends for a long while, not since she'd started living indoors with humans. Having a mouse as her first companion certainly would've earned her a lot of strange looks from the local felines.

But Blake didn't care. She liked Ruby very much and always wanted to stay with her from now on.

Little did she know at the time, but Blake's little family was about to expand even more.

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 **A/N: Again, this chapter was short and written as a prompt. Future chapters will be more detailed and longer as well.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	2. A Flustered Bird

**This was another prompt chapter so it is very small. Chapters 3 and onward will be much longer in comparison!**

 **Everyone was so curious about what Weiss and Yang would be. Here's one of those answers!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 2. A Flustered Bird

Blake had seen plenty of birds before with all the time she'd spent sitting on her favorite window.

But she'd never seen a bird like _this_ one before.

She was a tiny thing, pure white, and she seemed to have fallen from her nest.

Blake's tail flicked as she felt a small prodding at her side. She glanced down to look at her friend Ruby.

"Blake!" she squeaked. "Do you see her?"

"Yeah," she grunted. "It looks like she's hurt. Let's go see."

Blake waited for Ruby to climb up onto her back, then the cat hurried off toward the flap in the front door. Blake pushed through it and scrambled toward the garden, skidding to a halt just a few feet away from the distressed white bird.

She was fluttering about weakly, chirping frantically at the birds up in the bushes above, begging for help. But they were all ignoring her now, too scared to fly to her aid.

Weiss soon realized why.

A snapping twig caused her to turn around as quickly as she could, despite her injured wing.

A lithe black cat stood just a few feet away from her.

Weiss screeched in terror, scrambling back as she tried to seek cover of some sort. She tried desperately to fly, but pain only shot through her left wing, immobilizing it.

"St-Stay back!" she peeped. Though deep down, she knew this was the end for her.

But the cat didn't pounce on her like the last one had. It didn't even drop down into a stalking crouch. It only walked closer toward her, golden eyes curious.

But still, Weiss shrieked at her.

"Go away! Wh-What is it with this neighborhood? Why are there so many cats?" she wailed.

Blake could understand the little bird's dilemma, but she only wanted to help her. However, her approaching only seemed to be causing the bird more stress.

Thankfully, there was someone else here who might've been a bit less intimidating.

"Hold up!" Ruby squeaked into her ear. "Let me try." The mouse slid down off Blake's shoulder and scurried over to the fallen bird, keeping her distance a bit as not to scare her more. "Hey, hey! It's okay! Blake won't eat you! She doesn't eat mice or birds like you and me!"

The flustered bird jolted away, hopping back a few steps.

"D-Don't touch me, you dirty mouse!"

"Dirty?" Ruby pouted. "Well maybe back when I lived in the basement, but now I'm clean! I live with Blake and she gives me a bath every day!"

The bird stopped jumping around when she heard that.

"What? A cat grooming a mouse? I've never heard of that!"

"Blake's not like other cats," Ruby smiled, whiskers twitching. "If she were, I wouldn't be here right now!"

Weiss looked the odd pair over and blinked, though still skeptical. When the cat stepped forward again, Weiss twittered at her.

"D-Don't come any closer!"

"Calm down," Blake soothed. "Like Ruby said, I have no interest in eating or hurting you. I want to help."

"A cat? Help me?" Weiss scoffed.

"Yeah," Blake nodded, swishing her tail. "Maybe I can help you get back to your nest-"

" _Nest?!_ " Weiss peeped, offended. "I'm _not_ a fledgling!"

"Really?" Ruby squeaked. "But you're so small!"

"Quiet you!" Weiss stuffed her good wing into the mouse's face to silence her. "I was merely passing through here looking for a snack. There were seeds on the ground so I stopped for a rest, and then-"

As she trailed off, Blake sat down on her haunches, willing to listen. The little bird went on in distress.

"That awful tomcat chased me!" she cried. "He scratched my eye and gave me this ugly scar! And he bit my wing and now I can't fly!"

Blake let out a sudden growl and flicked her tail in irritation.

"Adam," she spat. "He's always creeping in on my territory. I'll give him a good clawing next time I see him." She then looked back to the white bird. "He knows I watch from that window, so he didn't want me to see him. That's probably why he didn't kill you."

The bird let out a withering sound.

"Well even if _he_ didn't, it surely won't be long now. There are plenty of cats and dogs prowling around here. One of them will get me, and then…"

"Hey, hey!" Ruby said. "Don't say that! We won't let them get you!"

Weiss looked up and blinked at the pair.

"You…?"

The black cat nodded.

"Come inside with us. My humans will fix your wing."

Weiss was doubtful of the offer, but she couldn't be so suspicious of this cat when she had a mouse - her number one prey - at her side.

So the bird took a chance and gave them her trust.

Ruby gently helped push her up onto Blake's back, and she held onto Weiss' good wing to keep her from falling off as the cat walked back inside.

"I'm Ruby, by the way!"

"Blake."

The pretty white bird took a moment before adding her name.

"…I'm Weiss."

Just as she'd expected, Blake's humans took one look at the little bird and they scooped her up patched her injured wing in minutes.

Weiss tried to leave afterward, but Ruby scurried over to stop her from exiting out the flap in the door.

"Don't go!" she begged. "You're still hurt! Please stay a while!"

Weiss turned her head, looking over first the mouse and then the cat. They'd already proven their good natures to her, and she knew that going outdoors was a death sentence for a temporarily flightless bird.

So the little bird heaved a sigh.

"Alright. I'll stay. For now."

Instantly, both Ruby's and Blake's ears perked up, and the mouse gave a little cheer.

"Yaaay!" She ran over and hugged Weiss gently, and the bird swatted lightly at her as she ruffled her feathers.

So Weiss decided to stay inside this house with them for a few days and nights, at least until her wing had healed fully.

For the remainder of that afternoon, she watched the cat and mouse playing together, sleeping together, grooming one another, doing all the things nature had said a cat and mouse should never do together.

And she decided… maybe she'd stick around for a while.

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 **A/N: Okay! Longer chapters next! Hope you enjoyed~**

 **is Kiria Alice, if you're interested~!**

 **Please review!**


	3. A Troublesome Cat

**Okay so here's a longer chapter now! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3. A Troublesome Cat

As the days went on in Blake's house, Weiss waited for her wing to heal.

The little white bird kept making comments such as "Once my wing is better, I'm going to leave. I'll fly off and find a flock to join."

Those declarations from her always led to Ruby's high-pitched cries of "Nooooo! Don't leave us! We'll miss yooou!" She'd throw her paws around Weiss and wail into her pretty white feathers.

Blake could see it on Weiss' face one day when the process finally started to crack her resolve.

Blake had nudged Ruby away into the kitchen for her lunchtime cookie and gotten a moment alone with the bird.

"You're not really going to leave, are you?" she asked.

Weiss merely ruffled her feathers a bit, then bent her head forward to preen her chest.

"I'm not sure," she said. "I was seriously considering it for a while, but now it's getting difficult to imagine... It'd break Ruby's heart. And perhaps maybe even yours." She blinked knowingly up into the cat's eyes.

Blake flicked her tail and looked away.

"Maybe..." she mumbled.

Weiss puffed out her chest proudly at having guessed correctly.

"I've got to weigh my options," the bird went on. "It's much safer to live here with you two and your humans. Outside, there are so many predators; dogs, cats, foxes, possums, raccoons, coyotes. And not to mention hawks," she shuddered. "Just when you thought you were safe from the beasts on the ground by hiding in the treetops, you get swooped on by an aerial attack..."

The way she trailed off led Blake to believe Weiss must've witnessed the horrors before for herself, but she didn't press the matter.

"Well, I'm glad you might want to stay. I know Ruby will be thrilled if you stick around."

"Yes. I'll decide and tell her once my wing is fully healed," Weiss decided.

Blake bent down, and Weiss hopped up onto her shoulder to be carried into the kitchen.

Blake went to her bowl where a familiar mouthwatering scent was wafting from it. Ruby was already gobbling up her cookies and crackers beside the cat.

Their humans picked Weiss up to feed her little strips of fruits and seeds.

Once they'd all finished eating, the trio was left to go about on their merry way.

Weiss still couldn't fly as well as she usually could, so she used Blake for transportation to be safe. Ruby scuttled along at the cat's paws as they headed for the cut-out square in the door.

"It's a nice day out today," Blake said. "Let's go outside."

She pushed through the flap in the door carefully to ensure Weiss didn't get hit by it, and Ruby slipped out next to the cat.

As soon as Blake stepped paw outside, the birds in the bushes scattered and darted off. But she never hunted them or was aggressive toward them, and oftentimes if she just lay still basking in the sunlight, they'd return and calmly continue about their routine pecking.

Blake trotted through the grass, crossing the yard, leaving the bushes and bird feeders behind. She was bound for the little patch of soil a bit closer to the road.

Her humans had planted several bushels of flowers in the little garden there, and the buds were just beginning to sprout with pinks and purples. Blake liked to laze about and sleep there because there were no trees or bushes to block out the sunlight. Plus, putting her scent near the garden kept rabbits and groundhogs at bay, so they wouldn't eat the human's flowers or foods they were growing there.

Making sure Weiss was perched comfortably on her shoulder, Blake laid herself down on her side, letting out a purr. Ruby scurried up to take her usual place at Blake's front paws, stretching herself out over them.

Blake started to drag her tongue over Ruby's course fur, emitting a content purr. Weiss bundled herself up near Blake's belly fur and preened her feathers a bit more.

After a few minutes, the trio curled up together and drifted into a collective, lazy slumber, the sounds of Blake's purrs filling the air.

. . .

Weiss woke a little while later, lifting her head and shaking her feathers out a bit.

She looked over her shoulder to find Ruby and Blake were still fast asleep, their darker fur easily able to absorb the sunlight.

Weiss hadn't been outside much since she'd arrived here, and she wanted to explore a bit. But she didn't want to wake her friends.

So she stretched out her pink legs and hopped off through the grass, surveying the yard as she went. There was a bird bath near the feeders, where several starlings and sparrows were splashing about.

 _Enjoy the dirty hose-water,_ Weiss thought. _I get bathed in a clean, beautiful sink_.

She turned her beak up smugly and continued on her way.

Weiss paused her hopping at the edge of the property to peck around the base of a tree. She wasn't looking for bugs and grub like the other _uncivilized_ birds did, but rather she was in search of seeds and nuts.

She was so focused on her task that she wasn't aware of the creature hunting her.

He moved with deathly silence, his paws making not a sound as he crouched in a nearby bush - waiting - ears perked forward, tail twitching in anticipation for the perfect moment to strike.

A sudden rush of sound and motion had Weiss screeching in terror as a scraggly, gray-furred cat pounced at her.

Weiss just barely managed to scramble away from his ragged claws as they tried to pierce her.

The second she looked up at him, she recognized this cat. It was the one who had attacked her before, injured her wing, and scarred her face.

"No!" she cried. "Not again! Get away from me, you monster!"

She still couldn't fly, and every attempt to flap her wings caused pain to shoot through her back.

With a growl and a shriek, the tomcat pounced at her again, swiping out a paw to bowl her over into the grass, leaving her dazed and paralyzed.

But the commotion had woken Blake and Ruby.

Blake recognized that growl just as clearly as she recognized Weiss' cries of pain. With a furious yowl, she tore off down the yard, snarling aggressively at the tomcat with the torn ears.

Adam heard her, whipping around and spitting at her as he took his attention off Weiss.

Blake didn't stop running, but instead leapt at him, knocking into him full-force and tumbling them both down into the grass in a flurry if claws and tails. Blake shredded at his back as she felt claws trying to puncture her belly.

Ruby had scuttled over to Weiss' side to help her up and then hurried into the bushes to hide with her. Both mouse and bird watched in horror as the two cats tussled.

Blake kicked herself away from Adam, jumping to her feet and hissing in pain as her belly throbbed with ache. Adam stood as well, ears flat against his head, tail lashing.

"Well, well," he growled. "I guess you've still got some fight left in you, Blake. I'll admit I'm surprised you can still remember the basics even though you've gone to live the luxury life with _humans_."

The fur on Blake's spine started to lie flat, just for a second as she looked him over.

Adam had a dozen new scars and wounds covering his body than when she'd last seen him. The life of a stray guaranteed all kinds of fights with all kinds of animals – not just cats. Battles for territory and hunting rights could sometimes end in murder, which was what had forced Blake to turn her tail on that lifestyle.

She had been lucky to find kind humans to take her in, but not every stray was that fortunate.

Adam narrowed his orange eyes at her.

"You've gotten quite plump," he noted, looking back at his own skinny form. "I'm honestly shocked you can still move so quickly. Is it nice fattening up on human food?" he spat.

"They're not all bad," Blake growled. "There are just as many good ones as bad ones, if not more."

"They're all horrible!" Adam spat. "If they find us eating just _one_ of their ten thousand precious sparrows, what do they do? Poison us. Trap us and kill us. Let their dogs loose to maim us."

"Mine would never do that," Blake hissed.

"If you believe that, then you haven't given them a reason to yet," he snapped. "I'll show you. I'll show you what they'll do to you if you grab a meal just because you're trying to survive. Your humans are no different and I'm going to make you see that."

"Fine!" she yowled. "Then fight me! We'll make all the noise we can. When my humans come out, they won't hit you or throw things at you! They'll take us both inside to make sure we're okay. I'll prove to you that they're good!"

"Nice try, Blake," he growled. "But I'm not looking to fight you to prove my point."

He flashed his gaze to the bush a few feet away.

Blake followed his eyes and gasped.

It was where Ruby and Weiss were hiding.

"Adam, _no!_ "

But it was too late. He was already tearing off across the grass toward them.

Blake pelted after him, trying to be faster so she could intercept the attack.

But Adam was right - she'd put on a bit of weight since she'd started being fed from a bowl, and she couldn't top his speed. So she screamed out to Ruby and Weiss.

" _Run!_ "

Ruby had been trying to, but Weiss was still frozen with fear and unable to move quickly enough.

"Weiss! C-Come on, we have to-"

But she cut off in a shrill cry that was accompanied by Weiss' shriek.

Blake skidded to a halt not five feet away from the bush, her body trembling an ears shaking.

Adam had clawed his paws into the dirt as well, stopping just inches away from the bush.

Both cats' ears were perked to listen to a frightening sound approaching them.

It was a dog.

Bark after bark sounded close by, and Blake was torn between using the distraction to bowl Adam away or just dive into the bush to collect Ruby and Weiss and run for the door.

But she didn't get the chance to decide before a massive golden retriever burst its way into the yard, jaws snapping. The dog was headed straight for Adam, charging at him in a flurry of teeth and golden fur.

Despite her fury at the tomcat, Blake still couldn't bear the though of seeing him hurt. So she moved quickly, sinking her teeth into his scruff and dragging him out of the dog's path. She dropped him and then darted to the bush, shielding Ruby and Weiss with her own body.

The dog came to a stop, panting and grunting as she looked the cats over. Blake shrunk back, but her fur lifted up, and her lips curled up into a snarl.

"Get out of here!" she hissed. "Leave us alone!"

But the dog's mouth lost its snarl, and she lowered her head to Blake.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt anybody. Just scare."

Puzzled, Blake flicked an ear, surprised a dog had spoken to her of all creatures. They were supposed to be mortal enemies, last Blake had heard.

But then again, so were she, Ruby and Weiss.

The retriever once more set her lavender gaze on Adam, curled in the grass. He stood and hissed at her.

"You wanna fight, mutt?"

"Really think you can take me on, kitty?" the dog growled. "Try me."

Adam flashed a glance to Blake, his orange eyes narrowed.

"Cunning, Blake," he spat. "I didn't know you had a dog. You really are the bane of every alley cat's existence. Traitor." He backed away, ears still flat. "Fine. But this isn't over."

With one last warning growl, he turned tail and fled across the street, disappearing into the shadows.

Blake hissed after him, then ducked her head into the bush to find her petrified friends.

"Are you two alright?"

Ruby was huddled around Weiss, and the bird had one wing draped over the mouse protectively.

"Y-Yeah..." Ruby squeaked. "I'm okay. Weiss?"

The bird let out a thin whistle of air.

"A few ruffled feathers..." she admitted. "But fine."

Blake purred in relief, then bent down to lick both of their heads before pulling away out of the bush.

The dog was still there, posture erect as she watched Adam go. Despite Adam's accusations, Blake had never seen this dog before in her life. She too, gave a warning growl as the retriever turned back to look at her again.

"What do you want?" Blake demanded. "There's nothing here for you."

The dog shrugged, then sat down on her haunches, and that big fluffy tail started wagging.

"I didn't want anything from you!" she said simply. "I just couldn't stand seeing that cranky old cat picking on you guys. Are your friends okay?"

Blake flicked an ear; this dog had been watching long enough to have seen Ruby and Weiss before they'd hidden.

The cat nodded slowly.

"Yes. They're fine... Thank you."

The dog smiled, and her tongue lolled out.

"That's great!" Her tail thumped against the grass happily. "Oh, and by the way, I'm Yang!"

Blake stared at her dumbfounded.

It was going to be an interesting afternoon.

* * *

 **A/N: And with that, the gang's all here!**

 **is Kiria Alice if you're interested!**

 **Please review!**


	4. A Happy Dog

**Sorry it's taken a while to update this. I've had a lot going on, and a lot to write, but now I should be more consistent with posting new content for this fic~**

 **A special thanks to** **jefardi! Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4. A Happy Dog

After ensuring that Ruby and Weiss were both fine, Blake crouched onto her belly and had them hop on her shoulders.

Yang watched with her floppy ears perking as much as they could, tilting her head at the strange scene.

"A cat helping a mouse and a bird," she said. "Now there's something you don't see every day."

Once the two were secure on her back, Blake flashed a glance at the dog over her shoulder.

"And it's not every day you see a dog helping a cat either."

Yang's tail started to wag again, sweeping over the grass, and her tongue lolled out between a smile. But before Blake could carry her companions back to the house, there was a question she needed to address first.

"So... Yang," she mumbled. "Where are your owners?"

The retriever's tail suddenly stopped wagging and her smile faded. Blake instantly knew she'd asked the wrong question, but it was too late to take back now. Yang heaved a sigh, her round eyes looking to the ground.

"I was owned by an old couple," she explained. "But the man died when I was a puppy. And the woman just passed last week."

Blake's ears folded, and she heard both Ruby and Weiss gasp sadly behind her.

"Oh..." Blake mewed. "I'm so sorry."

The dog whimpered and shook herself a bit.

"None of their family members wanted to keep me, and I couldn't stand the thought of going to the pound. So I just... ran. Been living in peoples' back yards for the past few days, but... the life of a stray's just not for me. I don't like being alone. It's sad..." Her shoulders slumped and a small, thin whine worked its way up her throat.

Blake moved forward to comfort her despite the fact that Yang was a dog - Blake's supposed worst enemy. She let out a soft purr as she brushed her body up against Yang's for support.

"It's okay," she said.

"Yeah!" Ruby piped up. "Our humans are very kind! They'll take you in!"

The dog perked up instantly, her purple eyes hopeful.

"Really?"

It was Weiss' turn to speak up.

"They took me in when I'd gotten injured," she chirped. "I think the house has got more than enough room for one more. Even if you are... rather big."

Yang's tail started thumping again.

"Oh boy! I'd really love to live with humans again! Are they nice?"

"The _nicest!_ " Ruby declared. "They always take time to feed us and play with us and even brush us!"

"That sounds nice," Yang whined. "I've got so many burs in my fur."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Blake purred, her whiskers twitching eagerly. "Let's get you inside."

* * *

Their humans were very excited the minute they saw Yang.

The dog had been a bit nervous at first, but after seeing and hearing their smiles and laughs, her fluffy tail started to wag a mile a minute.

While one of the humans tended to Weiss' wing and a few of Blake's scratches, the other took Yang into the bathroom and filled the tub. Ruby went with her for a warm bath, crawling through the dog's thick, wet fur and using her tiny claws to pull out any burs or thorns.

Once the bath was over, their human used a towel to dry Yang off, though the dog had her own methods, which involved a lot of shaking, a lot of flying water, and a lot of laughter.

After patching up Weiss and Blake and giving Yang her bath, their humans needed to leave the house quickly to go into town to buy dog food for her.

"Oh yeah!" Ruby said just as the doors closed behind their humans. "Yang, you gotta be starving!"

"Kinda," she shrugged. "But I can wait. Till then, I think we should all go for a walk together!"

Blake paused from where she'd been in the middle of grooming her face, and Weiss too stopped preening her feathers to give an appalled look at the dog.

"A walk?" the bird snapped. "Did you learn _nothing_ from what just happened? Clearly, going outside means trouble. I won't go."

"Aw, but Weiiissss!" Ruby scurried over to her friend and bumped her nose against her beak. "Don't you wanna see what the neighborhood looks like?"

Weiss looked away and shook herself a bit.

"Not particularly. I've seen it from above enough times."

"But there's more to it than that!" Ruby insisted. "There's a lot more than just houses and roofs and yards! You've gotta see it from the ground!"

Weiss considered the mouse's words for a moment, then flashed an uncertain look to Blake.

"I just... don't want to run into that cat again," she said softly. "He's gotten me twice now. I fear the next time, he'll-"

"Weiss," Blake stopped her gently. "We won't let that happen again. You're safe with us."

"And besides!" Yang added. "Now you've got a sixty-pound dog with you! No one's gonna mess with us!"

"Right!" Ruby added. "And if they do, I'll give 'em the ol' one two!" she said, swinging her paws like fists.

Weiss whistled a small laugh.

"Right. Just like how you fought off that tomcat, hm?"

Ruby's whiskers twitched in embarrassment.

"Well... I'll get him next time!"

The others all nodded their heads amusedly.

Ruby decided to ride on Yang's head between her ears. The dog had at least a foot of height on Blake, and now the mouse's world seemed even bigger than before.

As for Weiss, she hopped up to perch on Blake's shoulders. The cat swished her tail curiously.

"You don't want to ride with Ruby?"

The bird huffed.

"Not right now. That dog is enormous. I fear the breeze from up there would blow me right off."

Blake saw her point, and Weiss couldn't afford any more damage to her wing.

Once they were all situated, the strange quartet set off toward the hole in the door. Blake passed through easily with Weiss, though Yang had to squeeze herself a bit more. The flap closed on her tail and she yelped until Ruby ran back to free her.

"Thanks, lil' pal," Yang said.

"Dooon't mention it, big pal!"

They crossed their lawn, and Yang took the lead, being the one who knew the neighborhood best.

Blake hadn't been outside to explore this much territory since she'd been a stray with Adam and their clan of wild cats. It had been several years since then, but as Yang led them around, Blake realized everything was familiar.

Blake recognized several porches she'd once used for shelter from the rain. They even passed by the homes of a few other cats. She had admittedly stolen food from a few of those bowls some nights.

Adam and the others preferred to kill live prey like birds and squirrels, and they weren't above killing pets. But Blake had only tried that kind of meat once, and she'd thrown up shortly afterward. After that, she'd needed to steal pet food from other cats, something she still regretted.

 _I bet I got a lot of them in trouble..._ she thought. _I'd eat their meals, and then they'd probably beg their owners for more. I bet their humans got exasperated._

She was glad those days were behind her.

She kept close to Yang as the dog led them along the sidewalk. They passed several dozen houses, one of which had a trash can knocked over.

"That was actually me," the retriever confessed. "I did that this morning looking for a meal. I found some steak, but that was all."

"Ugh!" Weiss cried. "You ate from a trash can?"

Yang shrugged.

"When you're a stray, there's not much else you _can_ do."

"I think I'm going to be sick..."

"Not on me, please," Blake requested.

While Weiss managed to keep her breakfast down, Ruby scurried off of Yang's head and dropped to the ground.

"Yang, you really ate from here?" she asked, scuttling toward the trash can. Blake's ears went flat, and she was about to open her mouth to call the mouse back. But a little birdy beat her to it.

" _Ruby!_ " Weiss shrieked. "Get back here this instant or I'll pluck your tail! That can is full of disease and worms! You'll catch your death, you pea-brain!"

The mouse froze in place, shuddering as she pulled her tail close to her.

"But I just wanna look! I won't touch anything."

"That doesn't mean it won't touch you," Weiss chided. "You can't see germs."

With a sigh, Ruby scurried back to Yang and climbed back up to her spot.

"Yeah," Yang said. "I agree with the canary. It's not a good idea to go pawing through there unless you have to."

Weiss muttered under her breath that she wasn't a canary, but was glad to see Ruby retreat from the garbage.

They continued on their way. Yang informed them the names of every pet that lived in which house.

"Pyrrha lives there! She's this gorgeous red Great Dane, probably as tall as me. And next door is Jaune. He's a chihuahua. Nora and Ren live together – she's a pomeranian and he's a poodle. And then there's this corgi named Zwei-"

As she babbled on and on, Blake felt Weiss cringing against her back.

"Why are there so many dogs...?"

"I'm not too thrilled about it either," the cat admitted. "So long as they're inside or on a leash though, that's fine."

They'd just passed a little purple house with two cages on the porch. Yang told them about the rabbit and ferret who lived there.

"That's Coco and Velvet's place! I still remember the first time I tried to say hi. That ferret got all up in my face. Wouldn't let me even sniff her bunny friend."

Blake could see that Ruby was enthralled by every tale Yang shared with them, her silver eyes wide as she absorbed the new world around her. But she could also feel Weiss shifting around uncomfortably on her back.

Before Yang could march off again, Blake reached out a paw to tap her leg.

"Um, Yang? I think this is good for today. My legs are getting tired." She met the dog's gaze, then looked back to Weiss. "It's been a long day."

Yang's ears drooped a little, but she nodded quickly.

"Oh yeah! I'm sorry, I didn't really think about it like that. Let's head back then. Sorry, Ruby."

"That's okay!" the mouse squeaked. "We can do more some other time! For now, I think our humans will be home soon with dinner!"

"Dinner sounds awesome," Yang agreed.

The four of them made their way back home, just as the sun had began to set. By Weiss' order, they paused to check both ways before crossing the street.

Blake kept one eye on her surroundings at all times, just in case some feral animals might've been lurking. But Yang's presence really was a substantial benefit to their side, and nothing pestered them.

They soon walked back across their yard and squeezed in through the flap on the door just as their humans' car pulled into the driveway.

Once inside, Blake took the lead again, and Yang followed her into the kitchen. Their humans entered and greeted them all happily. One prepared Ruby's bowl of crackers and cookies as well as Weiss' bowl of seeds and fruit pieces. The other filled Blake's dish with the pellet cat food she enjoyed so much, and then placed a brand new bowl down for Yang. They filled it with a different kind of pellets, one that smelled a bit strange to Blake.

But Yang sure didn't seem to mind. She gobbled everything down hungrily, and Blake had to wonder if she'd even chewed at all.

Ruby and Weiss sat beside Blake at their smaller bowls, nibbling and pecking away a bit more daintily. When Weiss saw how Yang consumed her food, her beak opened in shock.

"Goodness, she just inhales it like that cleaning machine!"

Blake's whiskers twitched in amusement as she continued to work on her own meal. When Yang had finished her food, she plunged her tongue into a bowl of cold water, lapping eagerly. Blake had her own bowl for that, and Ruby and Weiss shared one.

After they were all finished, the cat, mouse, and bird proceeded back to the living room. Yang followed them cautiously, not knowing the routine around here.

She watched from afar as Blake sat on her belly, tucking her legs beneath her, swishing her tail invitingly. Ruby and Weiss both skirted around to Blake's front and settled beneath her chin. Yang heard the unmistakable sounds of a purr fill the air, as Blake's pink tongue began to rasp across their fur and feathers. Ruby sighed in bliss as she went limp, and even the stiff little Weiss closed her eyes happily. Yang sat down on the carpet and merely watched for a moment.

Before long, both bird and mouse had fallen asleep. Blake took care to tuck them into her side and wrap her tail around them warmly. She groomed her own black fur in the fading sunlight for a moment before flashing her golden eyes to Yang. There was an invitation to join them there.

But Yang didn't want to startle the other two with her presence when they woke. So for now, the dog laid down several feet away.

Blake closed her eyes and let out one final purr, ready for bed, eager to know what adventures they'd share tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: I just had to add in mention of JNPR. I can totally imagine them all as being those respective breeds of dogs. And Coco and Velvet, too :3**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	5. A Frightening Bug

**Sorry for the long wait! I've had so many other fics to update and post but I never forgot about this one! Again, thank you to jefardi!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 5. A Frightening Bug

Blake woke early the next morning in time with her nocturnal clock.

It was still dark outside, and her ears flicked at the sound of rain. She checked on Ruby and Weiss who were still asleep at her side, and carefully uncurled her body from around them. The two smaller animals cuddled closer together as Blake's warm body left them.

The cat stretched her legs out before shaking herself and then hopping up onto her favorite window sill. Peering outside into the yard, she noticed there were no birds flitting about in the downpour, but there were a few drenched squirrels in the yard and even a raccoon across the street rummaging through the garbage bail.

Blake felt her fur raise up a bit at the sight of it, not because she feared it, but because she knew raccoons would tussle with outdoor cats.

In her time with the stray clan, she'd fought them herself, but their claws were as sharp as any feline's.

Despite his sour attitude and the brutal path he'd chosen in life, Blake was still concerned about Adam. He was like a brother to her, and she just wanted him to live a long, happy life. Living as a stray wasn't the way to do that.

But she couldn't forgive him for hurting Weiss and threatening her friends.

Even so... she found she couldn't hate him.

Small sounds from the floor alerted Blake's attention back to her companions.

Ruby had woken and was trying to convince Weiss to come sleep beside her with Yang. But the little bird refused and simply fluffed herself up on the floor. Ruby whined and refused to leave her all alone.

That was when Blake jumped down to intercept things.

"Good morning, you two. It's still a bit early though. You should sleep until the humans wake up."

"I want to," Ruby wailed. "But Weiss won't come near Yang."

"Because she could easily roll over and crush me!"

"She won't!

"How can you be so sure?"

"Hey, hey," Blake soothed them both with a lick. "Ruby, you go back to sleep with Yang. I'll take care of Weiss."

The mouse looked from the cat to the bird and back again before slowly scurrying across the carpet. She climbed up Yang's side and settled on her flank to doze off once more.

Blake ushered Weiss to follow her into the kitchen. The bird hopped after her, not willing to risk using her wings.

When they were far enough away, Blake sat down and curled her tail around her paws.

"You don't like Yang, do you?"

Weiss gave herself a shake.

"It's not that I don't like her. She's just... intimidating."

"I understand. She's big to me, which is even bigger to you."

"She's very energetic. I just fear she might go overboard."

"And if that happened, she could easily hurt you or Ruby," Blake finished. "I know. I was worried about the same thing. I plan to talk to her later."

"Thank you, Blake." Weiss dipped her head. "If she's going to be living with us from now on, I know I'll feel a lot better if she's accustomed to being around smaller creatures."

"I get it."

Weiss was very delicate and very small, and hurt on top of all that, so Blake could understand why she feared Yang's size. She flicked an ear before changing the subject.

"How's your wing today?"

Weiss sighed and tried to stretch it out, but it could only go half the length as her uninjured one.

"It's still sore. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever be able to fly again..."

Blake made a sympathetic sound. She wasn't sure if Weiss' wing was merely sprained or broken altogether. Moving it only ever seemed to cause her pain.

The cat moved closer to the bird and bent down to lick her head.

"I hope it gets better soon."

Weiss whistled another sigh.

"Blake?"

"What is it?"

"...Could you take me to the window, please?"

Blake nodded her head.

"Sure."

Weiss hopped onto her back, and Blake carried her back to the living room. She jumped smoothly up onto the sill and let Weiss slide off.

"Thank you," she chirped. "I'd like to be alone if that's alright."

Blake nodded again and jumped back down.

From the floor, she could still see out the window at an angle. The drizzle had started to slow, and she could see the shapes of birds flying overhead now.

All kinds of them were waking and foraging for seeds that had fallen from plants in the rain. Sparrows, starlings, robins, bluejays and many others fluttered down to perch in the bushes and hop through the mud looking for insects. She could hear their chirps very clearly, and knew Weiss could too.

From the floor, Blake watched the little white bird sitting still, looking so forlorn, so lost.

Blake knew she wanted to fly again. Flying was freedom to a bird. Flying was life itself. To be denied such a thing was torment.

But Blake knew she was helpless with this.

Ears drooping, she turned around and let Weiss be, padding instead across the room, past where Yang and Ruby were sleeping.

Blake went on her morning routine, scouring the house for any unwelcome guests. She didn't mind mice so long as they stayed in the basement and kept out of trouble, and what she was really hunting now were bugs.

Unlike Ruby and Weiss, Blake wasn't scared of them. Hunting them was the perfect way for her to channel her natural desire to stalk prey, and she was also keeping her humans and companions safe from potential bites. She didn't even mind the beetles, as they were slow-moving and harmless, and she left the spiders to take care of the other pests.

Blake hunted the fire ants and cave crickets, and while those weren't common things she found, she still wanted to make sure there were none around.

But this morning, Blake's ears flicked at an annoying buzzing sound.

Flies were always fun for her – they were harmless but fast, so she could enjoy herself with pouncing and jumping at them without having to worry that they might cause trouble if she missed.

She followed that sound into the laundry room and could hear the body smashing itself against the screen of the window. Blake hopped up onto the dryer, wiggling her haunches as she narrowed her eyes and prepared to leap at her prey.

But she froze instantly when she caught sight of the insect.

Rather than a harmless fly, this tiny menace was an angry hornet.

Blake hissed instantly, ears going flat and fur fluffing up. She couldn't afford to take her eyes off of it, lest she lose it, but she couldn't take care of this by herself.

So she growled low and loud, yowling and hissing in hopes to rouse the others.

Luckily, Yang must have heard, because there was a fast flurry of pawsteps from the hallway. Blake didn't tear her gaze from the wasp as she heard Yang rush to the door.

"Blake!" she barked. "What's going on?"

"There's a hornet," Blake hissed. "Go wake the humans."

"A hornet?" Ruby squeaked fearfully.

"Yes, now hurry-!"

Blake's warning cut off into another spitting hiss as she watched the hornet dart away from the window. It was fast, but she kept her eyes on it as it buzzed around the room. It swooped toward her, and she jumped off the dryer growling.

The wasp flew at Yang next, and the dog yelped, backing away, turning around to shield Ruby from the stinger.

But just before the insect could reach Yang, Blake jumped up and swatted it away, the pad of her paw just barely missing the stinger.

"Go!" she hissed. "Get Weiss, too! It'll stay near the windows, so make sure to avoid them. I'll keep an eye on it, but hurry!"

With an affirmative grunt, Yang nosed Ruby onto her back once more and hurried off into the living room.

Blake kept her eye on the hornet, following it back to the window, hoping it would stay there. But it flew at her again, chasing her out of the room. She lost it for a minute, then listened for its wings, following it into the bathroom now.

Blake bumped her back against the door, trapping both herself and the bug inside, hoping Yang would hurry. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she focused on it. It landed on the screen then crawled up to the glass portion of the window.

Blake lashed her tail, waiting.

Only a minute later, there was stomping on the steps as Yang hurried back down, and Blake heard their humans asking what was wrong. The cat let out a hiss to indicate where she was, and once her humans arrived and opened the door, they saw the problem.

Blake hurried out, taking shelter behind Yang and growling once more.

"I hate those things so much..."

"Don't we all?"

Their humans managed to catch the wasp in a net, and eventually brought it outside to release it.

At last, Blake let out a purr of relief as her humans pet and praised her for her work.

Yang retreated to the living room where she'd stowed Ruby and Weiss under the couch to hide. She reassured them the wasp was gone, and the two cautiously crept out.

The stress of the eventful morning started to fade away as the four of them were brought into the kitchen for a congratulatory breakfast.

Afterward, the humans scooped up Weiss and Ruby and brought them to the bathroom sink for a bath, leaving Blake and Yang alone together in the living room.

Blake was in the middle of grooming herself when Yang sat down beside her.

"Hey," she said. "You were awesome this morning, Blake."

Blake flicked an ear and shrugged.

"Just doing my job. Hunting bugs is all the humans ask of me in return for all they do. I'm glad to do it. Thanks for your help too, Yang."

"Aw, I didn't do anything."

But her tail wasn't wagging like Blake thought it should've been.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Yang huffed, shoulders slumping.

"It's Weiss. I don't think she likes me. When I told her she needed to hide, she wouldn't let me touch her to help..."

Blake gave a sympathetic grunt.

"Don't take it personally. She's been through a lot. Big animals like us have only ever hurt her. It might take her some time, but she'll warm up to you sooner or later. In fact..." Blake smiled up at the retriever. "Let me help you with that."

Blake started giving Yang tips on grooming. Rather than letting her tongue loll all the way out in long, sloppy, spit-laden strokes, Blake taught her how to be more gentle and less enthusiastic.

"Grooming isn't the same as greeting new friends and getting all excited to slobber over them," she informed the dog. "I mean, I know Ruby likes it because she rolls on your tongue. But for a bird, it should be slow and calming. Their feathers are more delicate than fur."

Yang nodded, doing her best to copy Blake's motions. She mimicked the cat as Blake licked her forepaw, and Yang bent down to lick her own paw as well. The cat instructed her to swallow a bit more saliva to keep the drool out of her fur.

"If you drool on Weiss, she'll never let you near her again."

Yang gulped for more reasons than one.

Blake appreciated how nervous she was about all of this – it meant she really wanted to be friends with the bird.

Blake coached her for several minutes, and even had Yang practice grooming her.

It was... actually rather nice. Blake was always the one grooming others, and she'd never had anyone big enough to return the favor before.

Yang spoke around a mouthful of fur.

"Isth this okay?"

The cat purred in response.

"It's perfect. Not too wet or rough. Just make sure you're even gentler on a bird like Weiss."

Yang nodded and pulled away.

Just then, their humans brought Weiss and Ruby back into the living room, bundled up together in a soft, white towel. They put the two on the floor beside Blake and then left the animals alone.

Blake padded over to them, purring as she watched Ruby roll onto her back and sigh happily.

"That was a nice bath~" she hummed. "Blake, can you groom me a little? I'm sleepy."

"Sure."

Blake curled up next to Ruby and pulled the mouse into her paws. Weiss was already curled up in the towel, using it like a nest. The cat cleared her throat, looking pointedly up at the hesitant retriever.

"Yang? Could you take care of Weiss?"

At that, the bird jolted, eyes opening wide.

"That's quite alright. I'm just fine."

"Weiss," Blake purred. "I think Yang wants to help you relax."

"No offense," Weiss peeped. "But I'm already dried off now. I don't need dog slobber in my feathers."

The dog whimpered.

Ruby rolled over in Blake's paws.

"Aw, c'mon, Weiss. Let her try."

"I think you'll be surprised," Blake added.

The bird glanced skeptically up at the dog towering above her. Yang laid down on her belly to appear less intimidating. She gave Weiss her very best puppy dog eyes, wide and watery.

Weiss huffed and ruffled her feathers.

"Fine. Just for a minute."

Instantly, Yang perked up, tail wagging.

"You won't regret it, Weiss!"

Blake watched as Yang laid down on the other side of the towel, curling her front paws on either side of Weiss' small body. Yang bent down slowly, flashing the cat a nervous glance.

Blake nodded in encouragement, demonstrating a lick on Ruby's back.

The dog did her best to copy the motion, keeping her tongue as gentle and as dry as possible. She rasped it from Weiss' head to her tail feathers, making sure not to ruffle them.

Blake continued tending to Ruby, a purr rumbling in her chest. Ruby snuggled closer against her and sighed happily.

Both of them kept their eyes on the other pair.

Weiss was fidgeting a bit at first, making sure to keep her injured wing out of the path of Yang's tongue.

The dog was barely touching her, making very light contact with her delicate feathers. After a minute, Yang paused, sniffing the little bird.

"You okay?"

Weiss shifted a little bit and dipped her head.

"It's fine."

Yang wagged her tail happily and continued licking her.

Blake did the same for Ruby.

It was only a few minutes later when Ruby fell asleep. Blake moved over a little closer to Yang, being careful to ensure she didn't disturb the mouse. Blake pressed to Yang's side, resting her head against the retriever's shoulder.

After a few more rasps of Yang's tongue, Weiss had fallen asleep as well.

Yang was beaming with pride, and she even went so far as to groom Blake as well, passing long licks all down her head to her back. Blake purred, pressing closer into the dog's warm fur like sunlight.

Yang couldn't purr, but her tail never stopped wagging, even after she'd dozed off beside her companions.

* * *

 **A/N: A very thrilling, perilous morning for our little heros! And a big success for our big doggy~**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice.**

 **Please review!**


	6. Flock Of Four

**Don't worry! I haven't forgotten about this little fic! I've just been swarmed with college and commissions, so I've had little free time to get to writing more of this, but I've written several chapters in advance now, so I feel comfortable enough to post another! Enjoy!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 6. A Flock Of Four

After Yang had managed to groom Weiss to sleep, the little bird was never scared of the big dog again.

Blake took note of how Weiss' attitude toward the retriever changed after that. She stopped deliberately trying to avoid Yang, and she wasn't afraid to sit near or even on her, even when the dog was asleep.

Being around smaller creatures like Ruby and Weiss, Yang was sure to be competent about her own bulk – even when she slept, she was unconsciously aware of where the others were in regards to herself.

Over the several days since Yang had officially moved in, the four of them had formed a symbiotic relationship.

Yang was big enough to intimidate any pesky animals straying around the yard during their afternoon naps. Just like she'd done with Adam on the first day, she would fend off pesky cats who were looking for a fight with Blake or an easy meal with one of the other two.

She also wasn't afraid to growl at a fox scurrying through the yard one day that had gotten a bit too close for comfort. Blake knew she herself wouldn't have had the guts to do it, so she was extremely thankful for Yang's courage.

Being the medium-sized one of the group, Blake accomplished some of the things Yang's size didn't allow her to. Whenever they were playing outside together with their toys, Blake was the only one quick and strong enough to catch a ball before it rolled into the street or down a sewer.

The same was true for when they bounced too high and got stuck up in a tree. If Yang couldn't knock it down by bumping her flank into the trunk of the tree, she'd boost Blake onto her back. The cat would climb up to knock the toy down into Yang's waiting jaws, then cleanly jump down into the grass in a graceful landing.

Yang would always joke during those times, saying things like, "Hey, I'm the retriever here, but you fetch better than me!"

Ruby was smaller and had a lot of tricks of her own. On hotter days, she was the one able to climb up the window sills and use her tiny claws to crank the screen open. She did the opposite and cranked them closed on cooler days. Her fingers allowed her to accomplish a lot of tasks the others couldn't, including reaching itches Yang or Blake couldn't scratch for themselves.

Being only a hair's breadth smaller than Ruby – though she'd never allow anyone to say it aloud – Weiss was also good at cleaning off the others.

She didn't exactly groom like Blake or Yang would with their tongues, but Weiss was an expert and pulling out burs and thorns from everyone's fur. Her beak was precise and quick, and even the few times when there would be pain involved in tugging out a thorn, Weiss always made sure it was over in a second.

She was always content to help out her companions whenever they needed it.

But Weiss still couldn't help but feel helpless most of the time. If there was ever trouble, she was always the first one the others hid or stood in front of.

The others could run if need be, but Weiss wasn't quick on her feet at all. Without her wings, she would only make a clumsy fool of herself if she tried to flee.

They always had to carry her around or let her hop on their backs in order to reach something. When she couldn't even manage that on her own, Ruby would have to crawl up and help guide Weiss.

The bird hated being babied like this. She knew her friends didn't mean to do it – they only wanted to keep her safe and prevent her wing from getting even more injured. But Weiss was starting to think it might never get better.

Initially, after Blake's humans had taken her in and fixed it up a bit, she'd thought it would heal soon afterward. But now, more than a week had passed, and it still wasn't back to normal.

That morning, she'd asked Yang to help her onto the window sill, which was where Weiss presently sat. She liked to sit there and watch the other birds flitting about outside.

But it also hurt her to see them flying so freely.

The others sat together on the carpet across the room, watching her little white back. Yang's ears and tail were drooping, Blake's shoulders slouched, and Ruby's whiskers fell.

"When's her wing gonna get better?" she mumbled. "It's been long enough now, don't you think?"

"I thought the same thing," Blake sighed.

"It's weird," Yang added. "Back when I was living with my old humans, the kid next door had a pet bird who broke its wing. But it got better faster than Weiss' is..."

"I'm worried..." Ruby sniffled. "What if it keeps hurting her forever? What if she never flies again?"

"Don't say that," Blake soothed, wrapping her tail around the distraught mouse. "She'll get better. But it might be best if we ask for a little help."

"Help?" Yang repeated. "What do you mean?"

Blake flicked an ear at them, checked to make sure Weiss wasn't aware of their plans, then stood to her paws.

"Come with me."

Blake led them to the kitchen. Ruby scuttled up to ride on Yang's shoulder.

Their humans were both outside at the moment tending to their garden. Blake led her companions to them, then started to meow pitifully. Yang quickly caught on and followed along, whimpering and whining to get the humans' attention.

Both of them looked up and pushed their glasses back up onto their noses. The woman was nearest to them, and she addressed the animals with a sympathetic tone.

"What seems to be the matter, my dears?"

Blake mewed again, then stood. Yang did the same, indicating they wanted the humans to follow them elsewhere.

The humans seemed to understand. They abandoned their gardening tools for the moment, stood, and dusted themselves off.

Blake led them all back inside, then paused at the far end of the living room. She stared out at Weiss alone on the window sill, preening her hurt wing. Yang gave a low whine, then whimpered again. Ruby looked up at the humans with wide silver eyes like saucers and twitched her whiskers imploringly.

The woman chuckled softly. "I see. You're worried about her wing."

Yang whimpered again. The woman patted the retriever's head gently, then did the same for Blake, and finally scratched under Ruby's chin.

"Well, don't worry. We're arranging an appointment at the vet's in just a few days."

"Perhaps we should move it up to tomorrow?" the man offered.

The woman paused, looked at each of the animals, and then nodded.

"Yes. I think that would be best. Let's call now."

As they headed off together into the kitchen, Yang, Blake, and Ruby all perked up.

"I think it worked!" Yang barked excitedly. "It worked, didn't it? I remember that word. What was it?"

"The met?" Ruby guessed.

"Vet," Blake corrected. "It's... well..." She shuddered a little at a few unpleasant memories of her own, then shook her head. "It's not always the nicest place to be, but I think it could really help Weiss get better."

"So they can fix her wing?!" Ruby piped.

"Hopefully," Blake nodded.

Yang grunted and shuffled her paws.

"I've heard they _fix_ a lot of things..."

"Yang!" Blake hissed in warning. "Not in front of Ruby."

"Sorry, sorry!"

"Huh? What did Yang mean, Blake?"

"Nothing," Blake purred quickly. "Don't worry about it."

Ruby shrugged, then scuttled across the living room toward Weiss. Blake flicked her tail and smacked Yang in the face as she followed. The dog snorted in laughter before trotting after them.

For the rest of the day, the three of them stuck close to Weiss. They didn't tell her about the planned trip to the vet tomorrow for fear of offending her or making her uncomfortable.

But they _did_ make sure to nap under her favorite tree in a patch of sunshine.

Yang laid on her side and let the little bird make a makeshift nest in her fur. Blake groomed Weiss' back softly and let out a soothing purr. Ruby cuddled close to her smaller friend and snuggled under Weiss' good wing.

And even though Weiss was still feeling upset about her wing, she made sure to enjoy the presence and kindness of her friends for all it was worth.

Being with them reminded her of being back with her old flock. She'd curl up in her nest, oftentimes with some of her companions. During cold, windy nights, they would sing songs, huddle together, and ruffle one another's feathers until they were fluffy enough to sleep comfortably with.

Weiss still missed those times with her flock.

But as she closed her eyes and pulled Ruby closer to her side, savored the sound of Blake's purr, and the feeling of Yang's warmth, Weiss realized she'd found a flock of her own.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, even as a dog, Yang makes inappropriate jokes. Gosh, that one was fun to throw in there, hehe~**

 **As for the humans, at first, since this stroy started as a drabble, I tried not to specify the humans too much. But as I write more, I find I'm imagining them as being Ozpin and Glynda (not married perhaps, just living together and looking out for their animals like good guardians).**

 **Next chapter, we'll meet some new friends!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


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